Index

Domestic abuse

The Domestic Abuse Group of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has issued guidance on how Catholic parishes can support victims of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the UK-wide COVID-19 lockdown began on 23 March there has been a 49% increase in calls and online requests for help relating to domestic abuse.

The guidance includes information about how parishes can raise awareness of the issue, including a list of helplines and information about how to safely get help. It also includes a step-by-step starter guide for how parishes can work to support their local domestic abuse services with donations. Read more here.

Healthcare and prayer resources

In addition, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have recently released, as part of the Dying Well project, a series of prayers for the dying including prayers for a loved one when it is not possible to be by their side.

The Pilgrim

Southwark Spirituality Commission

The Commission are currently producing a weekly video each Sunday as a series of reflections on the Easter Sunday Gospel readings. Parishioners are welcome to sign up to receive these Easter reflections by email: http://eepurl.com/dcNmsv. The videos will also be shared on the RC Southwark Twitter account and Facebook page each Sunday afternoon.

Centre for Catholic Formation

The Catechetical InstituteThe Centre for Catholic Formation is working with the Catechetical Institute to offer online programming from Franciscan University. This will feature training for catechists and workshops for parents. To register your interest email learnonline@rcaos.org.uk.

For young people

Staying at home: a new resource for young people

Southwark Catholic Youth Service has worked with some 6th-form students on a mini-series “Christ is Alive”. This is an invitation for young people to focus on staying spiritually healthy and to ponder some of the big questions about life, through journalling and prayer. This may be particularly relevant during this difficult time of lockdown. Young people are encouraged to take a look. www.youtube.com/southwarkcatholicyouthservice

Ten TenThis dynamic theatre group has a wealth of excellent resources and are providing an “at home” Sunday liturgy aimed at young people. The group can be found at www.tentenresources.co.uk and on Twitter: @TenTen.

CatholicMom.comA packed website full of interesting articles, Gospel reflections, culture and fun for the family.catholicmom.com

YouTube KidsThis app has a wealth of fun teaching videos for children and is worth exploring. An example might be this video about David and Goliath: youtu.be/ks6zl2hL2Uk. It can be downloaded on any Apple device and is also available on Google Play. It features a number of security settings for safer browsing. Click here for more information.